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The Fountainhead

The story of an innovative, uncompromisingly independent architect, Howard Roark, and his battle against a tradition-worshipping society. Its theme is "individualism versus collectivism, not in politics, but in man's soul." Ayn Rand presented here for the first time her projection of an ideal man.

The Virtue of Selfishness

Ayn Rand presents her revolutionary concept of egoism in essays on the morality of rational selfishness and the political implications of her moral philosophy. Essays include: “The Objectivist Ethics,” “Man’s Rights,” “The Nature of Government” and “Racism.”

Capitalism

Essays on the theory and history of capitalism demonstrating it as the only moral economic system, i.e., the only one consistent with individual rights and a free society. Includes: “What is Capitalism?” “The Roots of War,” “Conservatism: An Obituary” and “The Anatomy of Compromise.”

Philosophy: Who Needs It

This book demonstrates that philosophy is essential in each person’s life. Essays include “Philosophical Detection,” “Causality Versus Duty” and “The Metaphysical Versus the Man-Made.”

After reading your first book by Ayn Rand, did you take any of the following actions? Select all that apply.

Searched online for related contentRead another book by Ayn RandTook a course related to Ayn Rand or ObjectivismTook part in serious discussions about the content of the bookAttended an event featuring an Objectivist speaker

How interested are you in learning more about Ayn Rand’s ideas?

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On which scholarship site(s) did you find this contest?

How likely would you be to participate in a video contest on Atlas Shrugged compared to writing an essay?

Topic 1: An important early event in the novel is the destruction of the Phoenix-Durango. What factors …Topic 2: Capitalism’s defenders usually appeal to the “public good” as the moral justification …Topic 3: Francisco d’Anconia and his teacher, Hugh Akston, advise more than once: …

An important early event in the novel is the destruction of the Phoenix-Durango. What factors make its destruction possible? How does this issue relate to the meaning and theme of Atlas Shrugged? In your answer, consider what Rand has to say in her 1962 essay “The Pull Peddlers.”

Capitalism’s defenders usually appeal to the “public good” as the moral justification of capitalism. Contrast this approach to defending capitalism with Ayn Rand’s approach in Atlas Shrugged. In your answer, consider what Rand has to say in her 1965 essay “What Is Capitalism?”

Francisco d’Anconia and his teacher, Hugh Akston, advise more than once: “Check your premises,” because contradictions do not exist. Identify at least two major apparent contradictions that the heroes of Atlas Shrugged encounter, and explain, with reference to the novel, what premises they need to check and correct in order for them to understand that these “contradictions” do not exist.

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